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The Ecuadorian government said in an official statement: "The measure was adopted in the face of Assange's failure to comply with a written commitment he assumed with the government at the end of 2017, under which he was obliged not to issue messages that would interfere with other states.

The statement did not say which communication system it had suspended but in 2016, Ecuador restricted his internet access for commenting on US internal affairs.

In December, Ecuador granted Mr Assange citizenship – but President Lenin Moreno has described him as a “stone in his shoe” inherited from his predecessor.

The government has said the situation is "unsustainable”.

aECUADOR has stripped WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange of his internet connection after he discussed issues which the government claims could damage the country’s diplomatic relations on social media.Mr Assange has been living in the Ecuadorean embassy in London since June 2012.

He entered the building to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning about allegations of sex crimes, which he has always denied.

But taking advantage of his internet access, he spoke out on social media about a diplomatic crisis between London and Moscow and about Catalonia, despite warnings by Ecuador to avoid controversial politics.

GETTY

Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno says Mr Assange is like "a hole in his shoe"

The Swedish investigation was eventually dropped in May last year.

However, Mr Assange, who was on bail at the time when he walked into the embassy, faces arrest by the British authorities for breaching his bail terms should he step outside.

Mr Assange says the real reason for his legal troubles is the fact that WikiLeaks published US diplomatic and military secrets.

He fears that if he leaves the embassy he risks being extradited to the United States.

Here is the entire chain of messages with @wikileaks (with my whopping 3 responses) which one of the congressional committees has chosen to selectively leak. How ironic! 1/3 pic.twitter.com/SiwTqWtykA

British Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan described Mr Assange on Tuesday as a "miserable little worm" who should leave the embassy and give himself up to British justice.

Mr Assange hit the headlines last year after it was reported that he had been in contact with US President Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, during the 2016 Presidential campaign.

A message sent via social media urged the younger Trump to put Mr Assange’s name forward for Australian ambassador, even suggesting how this could be phrased: “‘That’s ‘a real smart tough guy and the most famous australian [sic] you have!’ or something similar.”